Qatar’s “father emir” Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani dies

Sheikh Hamad came to power by overthrowing his own father. He ruled Qatar for 18 years and laid the foundations for its economic prosperity, and in 2013 he transferred authority to his son Sheikh Tamim, after which he began to be called the emir father.

Qatar uses funds received from energy exports to finance the spread of Islamist ideology and conduct anti-Israeli propaganda. He also actively invests in the economies of Western countries, which gives him powerful leverage.